Save water by implementing some of these water saving tips which can help you reduce your water consumption and be wise stewards of the earth’s most precious resource.

Water usage in a mid-to-high income household is as follows:
14% – Drinking
17% – Washing Machine
32% – Baths and Showers
37% – Toilets

In homes that have gardens:

46% is used for the garden
54% for the uses mentioned above.

Cooking and cleaning water saving tips
1. Steam food rather than boil it in water
2. Save water from steaming vegetables for stock or sauces
3. Use a bucket of water to mop the floor starting with the cleanest area first.
4. Use green cleaners for your cleaning and then empty the water into your pot plants (non-edible)
5. Drink filtered water up to 6 glasses a day but only boil what you need at one time for tea or coffee.
6. Stop buying bottled water. Not only are all the bottles polluting our environment, there is really no health benefit. Rather invest in a water filter for your home which will be a wiser long term investment.

Save water in your household:
1. Install low flow shower heads
2. Install a cistern that has two flush options
3. Always turn taps off correctly
4. Make sure you have no dripping taps
5. Get your children to share baths if they are young or bath one after the other if older – start with the cleanest child first!
6. When it comes time to replace your dishwasher or washing machine be sure to choose an efficient brand which saves water and electricity
7. Generally front loaders have more efficient water usage than top loaders.
8. Choose a machine with a half load or quick cycle if possible.
9. If you do not have this option on your machine, always run a full load.
10. Use green laundry soap so that you can redirect the grey water to your garden.
11. Always choose a cold water wash, hot washes are unnecessary. If clothing is stained then pre-soak rather than wash hot!

Save water in the garden:
1. Consider a grey water system to water your garden. You can connect a long pool hose to your bath or shower outlet which you can move around the garden. Preferably do this for lawns and flowerbeds, not edible plants.
2. Water your vegetable beds with a watering can, bucket or hand held hosepipe rather than a sprinkler.
3. Consider watering your vegetables with the ancient clay jar technique…see the video below.
4. Consider sinking a borehole to water your lawn and garden beds.
5. Never water at the hottest times of the day. Do it in the early morning or evening when the sun has passed over.
6. When planting new plants, plant those that are indigenous to your area which will not be thirsty plants!
7. Install a rain water tank to collect rain water during the rainy seasons.
8. Swimming pools are a lot of fun but can be massive drains on water supply in summer. With evaporation there is not much else you can do but fill them up weekly. However, make sure there are no leaks in the pool lining which would further contribute to a low water level. Also purchase a pool cover for over the pool which you can use when the pool is not in use. Remember these can be a safety hazard in homes with young children and you will need a fence and/or pool net underneath to keep your little ones safe.
9. Wash cars with buckets not a hosepipe.
10. Do not wash down paving with a hosepipe, use muscle power and sweep them rather.